Ignacio Fernández Sánchez (7 May 1922 – 24 November 2012) better known as Tony Leblanc was a Spanish
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
, and
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
.
Biography
Tony Leblanc was born on the grounds of the
Museo del Prado
The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the ...
at
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, where his family lived because of his father's employment as the museum's janitor.
In his teens he was fond of boxing, becoming champion of the lightweight Castilla "amateur", while participating in amateur theatre. He was also a soccer player in the
Third Division of
Real Club Deportivo Carabanchel in which he scored 23 goals, making him the top scorer of the Third Division.
Leblanc made his professional acting debut in 1944 with
Celia Gámez's company. His earliest appearances on film were in ''Eugenia de Montijo'' (1944), ''
Los últimos de Filipinas'' (1945,
Antonio Román
Antonio Román (9 November 1911 – 16 June 1989) was a prolific Spanish film director, screenwriter, film producer.
Antonio Román was born Ourense, Spain on 9 November 1911. Román began directing films in the later 1930s starting with doc ...
), and ''Por el gran premio'' (1946, directed by Pierre-Antoine Caron). His greatest prominence was from about 1955 to 1965, in popular titles of Spanish cinema of the era such as ''El Tigre de Chamberí'' (1957, Pedro Luis Ramírez), ''Muchachas de azul'' (1957), ''
Los tramposos
''Los tramposos'' ("The cheaters") is a 1959 Spanish comedy film directed by Pedro Lazaga and starring Tony Leblanc and Antonio Ozores. The movie is about two small-time con-men.
Plot
Two small-time con men make a living of swindling people. They ...
'' (1959, both by
Pedro Lazaga
Pedro Lazaga Sabater (3 October 1918 – 30 November 1979) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 90 films between 1948 and 1979.
Selected filmography
* '' The Black Siren'' (1947)
* '' María Morena'' (1951 ...
), ''
Las chicas de la Cruz Roja
''Red Cross Girls'' (Spanish: ''Las chicas de la Cruz Roja'') is a 1958 Spanish film directed by Rafael J. Salvia. It is a musical romantic comedy.
Plot
Four women from different social backgrounds - Julia (Luz Márquez), Isabel (Mabel Karr), Pa ...
'' (1960, by
Rafael J. Salvia), ''
Tres de la Cruz Roja
''Tres de la Cruz Roja'' is a 1961 Spanish comedy film directed by Fernando Palacios and written by Vicente Coello and Pedro Masó
Plot
Jacinto, Pepe and Manolo are three friends and Real Madrid supporters who are upset with the high price of t ...
'' (1961, by Fernando Palacios) or ''
Historias de la televisión
''Television Stories'' (Spanish:''Historias de la televisión'') is a 1965 Spanish comedy film directed by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia and starring Concha Velasco, Tony Leblanc and José Luis López Vázquez. It updated the basic plot of the 1955 ...
'' (1964, by
José Luis Sáenz de Heredia
José Luis Sáenz de Heredia (10 April 1911 – 4 November 1992) was a Spanish film director. He was born in Madrid. His film ''Ten Ready Rifles'' was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival.
Filmography
* ''Patricio miró ...
). During this decade, Leblanc formed an artistic partnership with
Concha Velasco
Concepción Velasco Varona OAXS MML (born 29 November 1939), known professionally as Concha Velasco, or Conchita Velasco in her beginnings, is a Spanish actress, singer and television presenter. She has received numerous accolades throughou ...
which was to endure for many years. He was also involved in a comedy trio with José Luis Ozores and
Manolo Gómez Bur
Manolo Gómez Bur (21 April 1917 – 30 May 1991) was a Spanish actor of theatre and films. He appeared in over 90 films between 1943 and 1983. He was born in Madrid and he was soon an actor and he died in Andalucía, Spain.
Selected filmogr ...
. In this way, he established his popularity working mainly in comedy roles, on both film and stage. Leblanc found success in theatre with revue productions such as ''Te espero en el Eslava'' (1957–1958) and ''Ven y ven...al Eslava'' (1958–1959), both alongside
Nati Mistral.
Leblanc's decline began in the mid-70s, after theatrical hits like ''Paloma palomita palomera'' and ''Esta es mi vida'' (1975), when an old ailment was aggravated, leaving him semi-disabled and unable to continue his acting career. However, before his retirement, Leblanc did some of his best work in ''El astronauta'' (1970, by Javier Aguirre) and the remake of
Rafael Gil
Rafael Gil (22 May 1913 – 10 July 1986) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter.
His film ''La guerra de Dios'' (1953) won the Bronze Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1953 and also won best film and best director at the San Sebastián ...
's ''El hombre que se quiso matar'' (1973).
A true pioneer of television in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in the 1950s and 1960s, Leblanc combined his cinema career with comedy specials, various comedic performances and a few programmes by
Televisión Española
Televisión Española (acronym TVE, branded tve, "Spanish Television") is Spain's national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest regular television service in the country. It was also the first regular television service in ...
such as ''Las Gomas'' (1956), ''La Goleta'' (1957), ''Gran Parada'' (1963–1964), ''El que dice ser y llamarse'' (1965), ''En órbita'' (1967), ''Cita con Tony Leblanc'' (1969) and ''Canción 71'' (1971). After ''Paloma, Palomita, Palomera'' 1973 y ''Esta es mi vida'' in 1975.
Leblanc decided to retire from cinema in 1975 after his starring role in ''Tres suecas para tres Rodríguez''. On 6 May 1983, he was involved in a serious road accident that would truncate his theatrical career. The accident left him temporarily incapacitated.
After nearly 15 years of retirement, he was seen by
Santiago Segura
Santiago Segura Silva (born 17 July 1965) is a Spanish filmmaker and actor. He also worked to a lesser extent as a television presenter, voice actor and comic book writer, as well as being a collector of original comic books.
At 12, he began ...
on television in the Premio Isbert de Teatro award ceremony. Following this, Segura convinced him to accept a role in his film ''
Torrente'' (1998), which earned Leblanc a
Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor ( es, Premio Goya a la mejor interpretación masculina de reparto) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. It is given in honor of an actor who has deli ...
. The collection of this award in January 1999 was especially emotional because of the almost miraculous recovery of the actor, who managed to walk after being in a wheelchair for several years. Leblanc agreed to continue in Segura's ''Torrente'' saga, with films in
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, and
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
.
From 2001 to 2008, Tony Leblanc appeared in Televisión Española's series ''
Cuéntame cómo pasó
' (Spanish, 'Tell me how it happened'), usually shortened to ''Cuéntame'' and also known in English as ''Remember When'', is a Spanish prime-time television drama series which has been broadcast on La 1 of Televisión Española since 2001. It ...
'' for 181 episodes, in the supporting role of Cervan, an old and charming newsagent. Since April 2007, he has also collaborated with Santiago Segura in the comedy program ''Sabías a lo que venías'', of
laSexta
La Sexta (; "The Sixth"; stylized as laSexta) is a Spanish free-to-air television channel. It is privately owned and was originally founded on 18 March 2001 as Beca TV that began broadcasting on 1 April 2001, that same year. By 21 July 2003, the ...
channel.
Tony Leblanc has also produced, directed and written several films, debuting as director of ''El pobre García'', a comedy starring
Lina Morgan
María de los Ángeles López Segovia OAXS MML (20 March 1937 – 19 August 2015), better known as Lina Morgan, was a Spanish film, theatre and television actress and showgirl.
Biography
Morgan was born to Emilio López Roldán and Julia Garc ...
and Manolo Gómez Bur. He finally abandoned work as a producer and director after failing to achieve commercial success.
Tony Leblanc was the author of a successful
pasodoble
Pasodoble (Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military march gave rise r ...
: ''Cántame un pasodoble español'',
written for the
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
''Un Pasodoble Español'' (1970), by folk artist
Lolita Sevilla
Ángeles Moreno Gómez (20 March 1935 - 16 December 2013), better known as Lolita Sevilla, was a Spanish actress and singer, whose career spanned over 40 years.
Born in Seville, she began singing at the age of ten, in 1945 and also had a film ...
, following which he continued to collaborate with her in other pasodobles: ''Las piedras del camino'', ''Te digo sinceramente'' and ''Un abanico español'', the latter with
Maestro Quiroga
Manuel López-Quiroga Miquel (January 30, 1899 – December 13, 1988), better known as Maestro Quiroga, was a Spanish composer especially known for his '' coplas'', ''cuplés'', and ''zarzuelas''. He was also a pianist and one of the group of ...
.
He wrote his memory's in the book ''This is my life'' in 2008.
On 10 May 2008, Leblanc received a tribute by the municipality of
Villaviciosa de Odón
Villaviciosa de Odón () is a municipality in the western zone of the Community of Madrid in Spain. The town is located 15 km west of Madrid's city center, in the western zone of the metro area. The Spanish Air Force Museum and the Universid ...
, (
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
), where he lived for 30 years. He died in Villaviciosa de Odón, on 24 November 2012, aged 90, from a
myocardial infarction
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...
.
There is a road in Benidorm named in his honour.
Awards
*
Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor ( es, Premio Goya a la mejor interpretación masculina de reparto) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. It is given in honor of an actor who has deli ...
(1998) for ''
Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley''
*
Honorary Goya Award The Goya Awards are Spain's main national annual film awards. Here is a list of Honorary Goya Award
The Goya Awards ( es, Premios Goya) are Spain's main national annual film awards, commonly referred to as the Academy Awards of Spain.
The awards ...
in 1994
*Gold Medal of the
Círculo de Bellas Artes The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a private, non-profit, cultural organization that was founded in 1880. Its building, located in Madrid, Spain, was declared ''Bien de Interés Cultural'' in 1981.
The CBA is a major multidisciplinary centre with one ...
*Premio de Interpretación del Sindicato del Espectáculo
*Medalla del Mérito al Trabajo, 1980
*II National Theatre Award "Pepe Isbert"
*Honorary President of Amigos del Teatro de España (AMITE, Friends of Theatre)
*Gold Medal of AMITE, 2010
*Leblanc has a star on Madrid's Walk of Fame
Selected filmography
* ''
Last Stand in the Philippines
''Last Stand in the Philippines'' () is a 1945 Spanish biographical war film directed by Antonio Román. It is based on a radio script by Enrique Llovet, ''Los Héroes de Baler,'' and novel, ''El Fuerte de Baler,'' by Enrique Alfonso Barcones an ...
'' (1945)
* ''
The Party Goes On
''The Party Goes On'' (Spanish:''La fiesta sigue'') is a 1948 Spanish drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of thi ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Currito of the Cross'' (1949)
* ''
The Troublemaker'' (1950)
* ''
Service at Sea
''Service at Sea'' (Spanish: ''Servicio en la mar'') is a 1951 Spanish war film directed by Luis Suárez de Lezo
Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish language, Spanish form of the originally Germanic language, Germanic name or . Other Iberia ...
'' (1951)
* ''
The Fisher of Songs'' (1953)
* ''
The Dance of the Heart'' (1953)
* ''
Las chicas de la Cruz Roja
''Red Cross Girls'' (Spanish: ''Las chicas de la Cruz Roja'') is a 1958 Spanish film directed by Rafael J. Salvia. It is a musical romantic comedy.
Plot
Four women from different social backgrounds - Julia (Luz Márquez), Isabel (Mabel Karr), Pa ...
'' (1958)
* ''
Carnival Day
''Carnival Day'' (Spanish: ''Días de feria'') is a 1960 Spanish comedy film directed by Rafael J. Salvia.Comas p.297
Cast
* Manuel Arbó
* Pedro Beltrán as Isidoro
* Juan Bienvenida
* Pilar Cansino as Rosa
* José Luis Coll
* Irene D ...
'' (1960)
* ''
Police Calling 091
''Police Calling 091'' (Spanish: ''091 Policía al habla'') is a 1960 Spanish crime film directed by José María Forqué and starring Adolfo Marsillach, Tony Leblanc
Ignacio Fernández Sánchez (7 May 1922 – 24 November 2012) better k ...
'' (1960)
* ''
Television Stories
''Television Stories'' (Spanish:''Historias de la televisión'') is a 1965 Spanish comedy film directed by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia and starring Concha Velasco, Tony Leblanc and José Luis López Vázquez. It updated the basic plot of the 1955 ...
'' (1965)
* ''
The Man Who Wanted to Kill Himself
''Man Who Wanted to Kill Himself'' ( es, El hombre que se quiso matar) is a 1942 Spanish comedy film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Antonio Casal and Rosita Yarza. It is based on a short story by Wenceslao Fernández Flórez
Wenceslao Fer ...
'' (1970)
* ''
The Green Envelope
''The Green Envelope'' (Spanish:''El sobre verde'') is a 1971 Spanish musical comedy film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Tony Leblanc, Esperanza Roy and Guadalupe Muñoz Sampedro
Guadalupe Muñoz Sampedro (1896–1975) was a Spanish film a ...
'' (1971)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leblanc, Tony
1922 births
2012 deaths
20th-century Spanish male actors
Best Supporting Actor Goya Award winners
Swing singers
21st-century Spanish male actors
Honorary Goya Award winners
Male actors from Madrid